Pritzker declares disaster in Edwardsville, says building codes should be revisited
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More coverage of the Amazon warehouse disaster
Read more of the BND’s stories following a tornado that killed six at an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville on Dec. 10, 2021.
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday that an investigation is underway to determine what happened at Amazon’s Edwardsville warehouse where six people were killed in a tornado Friday night.
“Obviously there is an investigation going on to make sure all the code was followed in the building of the building,” Pritzker said. “And to find out exactly what occurred here.”
Also on Monday, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, announced that it was investigating the site.
Pritzker, who spoke during a news conference after touring the Amazon warehouse, said Illinois should consider whether building codes need to be changed in light of climate change.
“This tornado was something that was, you know, an unexpected major, severe storm,” he said while speaking at the Pontoon Beach Police Department, which is near the Edwardsville Amazon warehouse damaged by the tornado.
“We are seeing more and more of that throughout the state of Illinois.
“So it makes us wonder … about whether or not we need to change code based on the climate change.”
As he said these comments, Pritzker noted there were state lawmakers attending the news conference. Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, was one of the state officials at the event.
Pritzker also said, “We are ensuring that there is a full understanding of what happened to these individuals in their final moments. And while we cannot prevent natural disasters, we can strive to prevent future tragedies and ensure all Illinoisans make it home at the end of their shift.”
Amazon employees and “partners” who were at the building when the tornado hit were asked to “shelter in place” at the building’s designed interior place on the north side of the building, which is on the opposite of the 1.1 million-square-foot building where the tornado actually struck the building.
Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokeswoman, said the designated shelter in place space is an interior section of the warehouse and is not built any differently than the rest of the building.
All of the persons who gathered in the safe place survived the storm and the persons who died were on the south side of the building where the tornado struck.
There were 46 persons in the building at the time of the tornado, including seven Amazon employees while the other persons are “partners,” or contractors, who work for Amazon, company officials said.
Nantel said an interview after the news conference that Amazon is cooperating with all investigators.
The workers who survived the tornado are being paid, according to John Felton, senior vice president for global delivery systems for Amazon. Felton also said that Amazon wants to rebuild the damaged warehouse, which is located in Madison County near the intersection of Illinois 255/Interstate 255 and Interstate 270.
Pritzker said he authorized a state disaster proclamation on Sunday for Madison County and that the state is working with the White House and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to obtain “federal reimbursements” to pay for the costs incurred by local officials.
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency has been working with local officials, Pritzker said. The governor also said all power had been restored to Illinois residents who lost power during Friday night’s tornado.
Six people were killed when the tornado struck around 8:30 p.m. Friday, collapsing the building and trapping some workers inside.
Authorities on Sunday released the names of six people who died after a tornado struck an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville Friday night. Madison County Coroner Stephen P. Nonn identified the victims as: Austin J. McEwen, 26, of Edwardsville, IL; Deandre S. Morrow 28, of St. Louis, MO; Clayton Lynn Cope, 29, of Alton, IL; Etheria S. Hebb, 34, of St. Louis, MO; Larry E. Virden, 46, of Collinsville, IL; and Kevin D. Dickey, 62, of Carlyle, Illinois.
One person was airlifted from the warehouse and remains hospitalized.
Madison County Chairman Kurt Prenzler issued a disaster proclamation on Monday for Madison County in response to the deadly tornado.
A disaster proclamation provides the region with additional resources and funding needed to help a community recover, Prenzler said in a news release on Monday.
This story was originally published December 13, 2021 at 2:46 PM.
